Into the Woods
by bemyserendipity
Summary: When Lisbon's best friend is killed in a car accident, she's granted custody of her six year-old daughter in the will. Eventual Jisbon.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own books. Lots of books. But no Mentalist.

**AN: **So I've had this idea rolling around my head for a while, and I've finally forced myself to post it because I convinced myself several ongoing stories isn't bad or anything. Anyways, enjoy!

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It was often that Lisbon holed herself up in her office when there was no active case to work on, but never before had she walked out with bloodshot eyes and dried tears on her cheeks. She looked like a mess; her hair rumpled, shirt wrinkled, gnawed nails clutching her phone to her chest. Lisbon opened her mouth to speak, to give out an order, but no words left her mouth. Instead, she clamped it shut once more as tears began to well up in her eyes once more.

Van Pelt reacted first, her deep compassion for anyone in pain overtaking her will of professionalism. "Oh, boss," was all the redhead whispered before she got up from her desk and enveloped the shorter woman in a hug. But Lisbon didn't hug her back. She just stared blankly at Jane as she fought off the tears that threatened to fall. Eventually, Van Pelt pulled away, saying, "If you need anything, boss, call me. I mean it. Anything."

Lisbon nodded belatedly as she stumbled back a few steps to regain her personal space. She dragged her empty hand over her face and through her hair before mumbling more to herself than the team, "I need to talk to Minelli." She blinked and looked at her team helplessly. "Cho," her voice so soft and fragile that even the ever-so stoic man looked worried, "You're in charge. I- I'm going to be gone for a while." Without waiting for an answer, she turned and left, hand still clenched around her phone.

At once, the team looked to Jane for insight, but even he seemed at a loss for words. He shook his head almost imperceptibly before following after Lisbon. He waited for her outside of Minelli's office, catching a few words through the closed door; "I'm sorry for your... Not at all.. Take all the time you need.. Take care of yourself, Teresa." He stood outside the office for some time, until the door opened for Lisbon to slip out, still looking emotionally battered.

"Teresa," Jane murmured, reaching out cautiously to stroke her cheek. "What happened? Tell me."

"Not now," Lisbon snapped. She bit her lip and looked like she was about to cry again. "I have to go. I have things to do."

"Let me help," Jane suggested. He had no idea what could've happened to cause this kind of uproar in her life, a death of a loved one most likely, but he wanted to help. He'd been wanting to help for quite some time. "Please, Teresa."

"Maybe later, Jane," Lisbon finally said, shaking her head slowly. "I just can't deal with you right now." She closed her eyes briefly, free hand going up to touch her cross pendant. "Later, Jane," she repeated. "I need some time." When he nodded his consent, a silent promise not to bother her, Lisbon fled. She all but ran to her car, only stopping to breathe once she was safely inside.

She left the parking lot quickly, heading to an all too familiar neighborhood. Her hands shook on the steering wheel, and she felt like she couldn't see straight. Miraculously though, she managed to pull up to a modest one story home without killing herself. She killed the engine and took a moment to collect herself properly. If she got out, that meant she was accepting that her best friend was gone; killed in a car accident just like her mother when she was twelve.

Josephine Woods, formerly known as Josephine Hudson, met Teresa Lisbon when they were only twenty-four. It was a dark night, and the latter had just gotten off a rough shift that involved a dead child and digging through dumpsters; the former just got finished with her med school homework.

You could almost say it was fate that the two of them met that night in a crowded bar.

They kept in touch throughout the years, calling more than once a week, managing to squeeze in a lunch date or a girls' night every so often, being there for each other on important days (Josephine's wedding day and when she gave birth, and Lisbon's days  
of silent mourning on her mother's death anniversary), but never regularly since they had a cop's and a surgeon's schedule. Josephine, or Jo as she had preferred, had been with Lisbon through it all though. They had gotten drunk together, cried together, laughed together; they were the sister the other never had.

Now, nearly thirteen years later, only one of them remained, feeling more lost than ever.

Taking a deep breath, Lisbon forced herself out of the car and to the door. Her jaw clenched when she rang the doorbell, and she tried not to lose it all over again. There was silence before footsteps were audible from the other side. Not a moment later, the door swung open to reveal a small girl with dark curls and large, blue eyes. She was wearing a black skirt and a white t-shirt, eyes twinkling as recognition set in.

"Auntie Reese!"

"Kylie," Lisbon murmured breathlessly as she caught the little girl in her arms. God, it felt like just yesterday she was calming down Jo because Kylie was turning six. In reality, that'd been over six months ago. She felt pity stab at her when she realized the little girl was parentless now, her father having died when she was young. "Oh, sweetie, how've you been?"

Snuggling into Lisbon's arms after the woman scooped her into her arms, Kylie mumbled into her neck, "I miss mommy."

As she tried hard not to cry, Lisbon held her tighter. Kylie was an intelligent child; she understood her mother wasn't coming back. "I am so sorry this happened, Kylie. I miss your mommy too."

"Teresa." An older woman with short, grey hair came bustling in with a pale face and dried tears. "I'm so glad you came."

"It's great to see you too, Mrs. Hudson," Lisbon replied. "Though I wish it were in better circumstances." On cue, Kylie tightened her grip on her. "How have you and your husband been fairing?"

"We've been okay," the other woman sighed. "And for the thousandth time, Teresa, it's Margaret and Henry to you. It always has been, and that won't change any time soon." She shook her head with a tired smile. "Let's have some tea in the living room. The lawyer is already here. Kylie, dear, why don't you go and play in your room?"

"No," Kylie said defiantly, her hands wound in right fists around Lisbon's button-up. "I wanna stay with Auntie Reese."

"I'll come in later, sweetheart," Lisbon promised. "We just have to do some boring grown-up talk first." She gently pried the six year-old off of her and watched her dejectedly shuffle to her bedroom. She sighed and turned to Margaret. "How long will this take?"

"Not long," Margaret replied. "The lawyer wanted to read out what J- she left you in the will. I'm sorry to inconvenience you, coming all the way down here, but Kylie also really wanted to see you." She guided the two of them into the dimly lot living room where two men sat; one with a boyish face and charming looks, the other with salt and pepper hair and an aged face. "Teresa, you know my husband, Henry, and this is our lawyer, Jeffery Gump."

"Pleasure," Jeffery nodded in acknowledgement. "Okay, today we are here to discuss the will of Josephine Ingrid Woods, and what it entails for Ms. Lisbon." He turned to the said woman and cleared his throat, reading off a piece of paper, "To my dearest friend, Teresa Anne Lisbon, I give my two story home that she's drooled over since I got it, my gorgeous T-Bird and my boring mini-van, and custody over my daughter, Kylie Hope Woods."

There was a beat of silence before Lisbon managed to sputter, "Her house, cars, and Kylie?" She turned to the Hudsons. "Did you know about this?"

"She came by about a few years ago to talk us through her will," Margaret admitted, tears dripping from the corner of her eyes. "She was set on giving you the house and cars, which we were fine with, but then we came to the custody over Kylie." She reached out and grabbed her husband's hand, squeezing it tightly. "She didn't want to leave her with Robert's parents since they didn't speak to them, so it came down to us. After weighing the pros and cons for over two hours, she decided you. Still young but too married to her job to have a kid of her own, I believe is was Josephine said about you."

"I don't know about this, Margaret," Lisbon immediately protested. "I mean, I work a crazy job, and I don't know the first thing about raising a child."

"You raised your brothers pretty damn well, Teresa," Henry retorted gruffly. "And Kylie adores you, and she never stops talking about you after she spends a day or two with you. If you don't want to take her in, that's your choice in the end. We just want you to know that we believe in you one hundred percent about it."

Taking a deep breath, Lisbon felt a thousand thoughts race through her mind. She'd have to move into Jo's house. It wasn't an entirely bad thing. If anything, it cut her half an hour drive to work down to twenty minutes. Then she'd have to be home at decent hours, have someone to watch out for. She knew Kylie was normally picked up from school by her grandparents since Jo had such a hectic schedule all the time, so she wouldn't have to worry about picking her up from school or anything. But god. A child. A beautiful little girl who deserved everything. Lisbon wouldn't be able to give that to her. But would her grandparents? They were great people, no doubt about it; but they weren't getting any younger. It'd be hard for them to constantly watch an energetic six year-old. Besides, this was what Jo wanted. Jo wanted her to take care of her daughter. That's all that really mattered, wasn't it?

"Alright," Lisbon finally said. "What do I sign?"

The next hour and a half blurred by, full off lots of talking and explaining and signing. Lisbon could move into Jo's house by the end of the week, and she had immediate custody over Kylie. That meant she could take her home tonight, if she wanted. It was all so overwhelming, and Margaret insisted she stay for dinner so they could explain everything to Kylie together.

It went as well as expected. Kylie was overjoyed with the fact that she'd be living with Lisbon from now on and that she wasn't moving, but none of it took away the sadness that was conveyed through her eyes. After much discussing after dinner, it was decided Kylie would spend the night with Lisbon, and things would go on as always. Margaret packed a duffel of the girl's things from toys to clothes to books. By the time she decided to go, Lisbon felt nauseous.

"Thank you so much for all of this, Margaret," Lisbon said as she told by the front door, Kylie cuddled into her legs. "I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't given me all this stuff."

"It's no problem, Teresa," Margaret assured her. "Okay, so Kylie always has a glass of warm milk with some honey and cinnamon after dinner and her bath. She has a strict bedtime of nine o'clock, and she gets up in the morning for school around seven. From your place, I'd leave around seven thirty to get there early enough. Walk her to the doors, and she'll know where to go from there." She smiled indulgently at Lisbon's blank expression. She pressed a folded piece of paper into the younger woman's hand. "If you need anything, at all, feel free to call me."

"Uh, yes, ma'am," Teresa nodded, still absorbing all the information thrown at her.

Kneeling down, Margaret opened up her arms. "Can grandma get a hug, hon?" Without hesitation, Kylie darted into her arms, hugging her tightly. "You be good for your Auntie Reese, you hear?" The little girl nodded into her chest. Margaret pulled away and kissed her forehead tenderly. "I'll be over soon, promise." She stood back up and gave Lisbon a quick peck on the cheek. "Night, lovely."

"Good night, Margaret," Lisbon replied. She held out her hand to Kylie, and she took her carefully. "Let's go, Kylie. We still need to give you a bath and have some milk before bed, huh?" Kylie gave a sort of half-smile and tightened her hold on her had.

Smiling down at her, Lisbon knew her life had just changed. Drastically. But deep down, she knew this was for the best.

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**AN: **So yeah, the kid angle. What'd you think?


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing

**AN:** I feel bad for updating this one so quickly and ignoring my other ones, but I'm just liking this story's dynamic right now! Anyways, thank you all so much for the amazing reviews! It made me smile to know that you all liked the story. I hope you like this chapter cause I just sort of wrote it on a whim.

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Swaddled in a fuzzy blanket, hands warm from the mug of spiced milk she held, Lisbon couldn't recall a time in the past few years that she's felt this at ease. It probably had something to do with the adorable six year-old cuddled into her side with the droopy eyes and wet curls though. She still wasn't sure how she felt about having a child now; a living, breathing girl that relied on her to keep her safe. It was a lot to take in, and throughout the night she felt a surges of panic sporadically at the thought of raising Kylie, but then she'd look into her dark blues with their wide innocence, and it all seemed to fade away.

"I think it's time for a certain someone to go to bed," Lisbon chided with a small grin as she nudged Kylie awake. It didn't work all the way though; the little brunette merely mumbled incoherently and snuggled further into her. "Come on, cutie. I promise my bed is much more comfy than me and the couch."

"A few more minutes, Auntie Reese?" Kylie pleaded, voice thick with sleep. "You're really comfy."

"Well, thank you," Lisbon laughed. She stood up and scooped her into her arms. "But I'm afraid that if we stay on the couch any longer, Auntie Reese is gonna have a back ache for the rest of the week." Kylie giggled and nuzzled her neck affectionately, tiny hands winding their way around her torso. After making her way through the dark house, Lisbon set her down on the bed and tucked her in. "Good night, Kylie. I'll see you in the morning, okay? I need to make a call, and then I'll be right in."

"Promise you won't leave?" Kylie asked sleepily as she wiggled to get comfortable under the covers.

"Promise," Lisbon nodded. "I'll be right outside the door." She pressed another kiss to her forehead before quietly slipping out. She padded into the kitchen in flannel pants and a sweatshirt, hair thrown into a messy ponytail. She grabbed her phone and dialed a familiar number, fingers fidgeting as ringing filled her ears.

"_Hi, this is Dr. Josephine Woods. I am unable to come to the phone right now. Leave me a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!_"

Lisbon felt her strength crumble at the sound of her voice, and she started crying immediately. She hated feeling so pathetic and weak, but who was she supposed to turn to now? Jo had been her safe haven since she could remember. There was no one else she could think to call at a time like this; when everything felt like it was ripping at the seams. She just stood there and cried like she did when she first got the phone call from Margaret. It felt like hours had gone by when she heard knocking.

Quickly, she wiped away her tears and went to open the door before the knocking woke up Kylie. She expected a number of people to be on the other side of the door, but Patrick Jane was not one of them. He looked like he'd been tossing and turning with the way his hair was mussed, but the bright smile he wore said otherwise. He was in his usual three piece suit sans the jacket, the shirt sleeves messily rolled to his elbows.

"I thought you'd need something like this right about now," Jane said in explanation of his presence, innocently holding out a small bottle of whiskey. His smile turned into a nervous one. "May I come in?"

Lisbon nodded absent-mindedly as she took the bottle and opened the door wider for him to walk in. She guided him into her living room after she set the whiskey in the kitchen. "Can I get you some tea?" she asked politely.

"If you have some," he shrugged.

After pottering around her kitchen for a few minutes, Lisbon reappeared with a piping hot cup of his favorite tea. She handed it to him without a word and took a seat on the couch with him on the far other side. They were mute for a moment as he took an experimental sip and she fidgeted in her seat. She wasn't sure how to react to having her consultant in her home with her new daughter in the house. She felt like she should kick him out now, but an annoying voice in the back of her mind told her to give him a chance. Let him be her safe haven. It seemed like a ludicrous idea, but after he helped clear her name a few weeks back when she was framed by Dr. Carmen, she felt like there was a new level of trust between the two of them.

"My best friend died last night in a hit and run," Lisbon stated blankly.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Jane said with surprising sincerity. He scooted closer, grabbing her hand cautiously.

"You already knew," she guessed. His words were practiced, like he'd already thought of what he would say. She took his silence as a yes. "Why am I not surprised," she muttered, pulling back her hand.

"If it hadn't been someone close to you, then you wouldn't have cried at work," Jane explained matter-of-factly. "Your family is the only people to date that are close to you. But if it had been one of your brothers, you wouldn't be home. Tommy is always running across the country with Annie, James lives in New York, and Christopher lives in Chicago. If it had been any of them, you'd be on a plane right now."

"I've always wondered how much you know about me," Lisbon sighed. She dragged her hands over her face tiredly, stifling the tears that threatened to build up again. "Thanks for stopping by, Jane, but I'm really tired. I'll see you tomorrow at work..."

"Auntie Reese?"

Snapping her head to the hallway that lead to her bedroom, Lisbon saw Kylie standing in the doorway, sniffling with tears rolling down her round cheeks.

"Kylie, what's wrong?" Lisbon asked as she popped right off the couch, hurrying to cuddle the little girl. She lifted her onto her hip, tenderly wiping away stray tears. "Baby, tell me what's wrong."

"I dreamed about mommy, and I- I miss her," Kylie sobbed. "I really, really miss her, Auntie Reese." She clung to her Lisbon's shirt like a life line, tears falling nonstop now. "Bring mommy back. Bring her back, Auntie Reese! Please. I wanna tel her how much I love her."

"I wish I could," Lisbon murmured into her ear as she held her in a tight embrace. "I wish I could." She felt a tear slip from her eye. "But I'm right here, Kylie. I'm right here."

"Kylie?"

Damn it. She forgot Jane was there. It was going to be hell explaining this to him, let alone her team.

"Kylie," Jane repeated, and this time she responded, lifting her head off Lisbon's shoulder slightly. "Hi there. I work with your Auntie Reese here. Can I just say you have the prettiest eyes?"

"Thank you," Kylie said in a small voice as the last of her tears fell. "I got them from my mommy."

"Did you get your hair from her too?"

"Yeah.. Auntie Reese says I'm like her twin all the time," Kylie replied. She was getting distracted now. "I even have her dimples, see?" She grinned to show said dimples, making Jane smile.

"Wow, those are some adorable dimples," Jane said, voice still soft as he poked them playfully. "I bet Auntie Reese can never say no to you when you flash those."

"It works every time," Kylie said in a stage whisper. It was obvious her mind had wandered far from her mother now. "So what's your name, mister?"

"Patrick Jane, at your service." He smile and held out his hand. Kylie perked up, sitting straight as she eagerly shook his hand.

"Auntie Reese talked about you all the time to my mommy," Kylie explained, excited to know something about the strange man.

"Oh, really?" Jane sent a grin to Lisbon, wiggling his eyebrows provocatively.

"She'd come over, and she'd complain about you all the time!" Kylie finished with an exaggerated eye roll. Lisbon snorted at Jane's reaction, face falling immediately while Kylie merely smiled at them, oblivious. She cocked her head to the side curiously, dark curls following. "What are you doing here, Mr. Jane?

"I came to visit your aunt to say I'm sorry about losing your mom," Jane answered. He stopped for a moment. "You can call me Patrick. Mr. Jane makes me sound old."

"Patrick, can you stay here tonight?" Kylie asked innocently. "Auntie Reese had a huge bed! You could chase away the bad dreams!"

"Well, I'd have to say that's up to your Auntie Reese," Jane replied with a pointed look to Lisbon.

"Oh, please, Auntie Reese!" Kylie pleaded with a pout and wide puppy dog eyes. "I like Patrick!"

"You just met him," Lisbon retorted. As cute as the two's interactions had been, she wasn't about to just open up her bed to Patrick Jane of all people. She wasn't about to open up that can of worms. There were too many unresolved feelings that would never be addressed.

"But then I could have an auntie and an uncle!" Kylie countered.

The thought of having a niece with Jane set Lisbon's cheeks on fire, and she shyly ducked her head. "Um, maybe another night, Kylie," she said, voice a pitch too high.

"I should be going anyways," Jane shrugged off the deny. He stepped closer and kissed Kylie's temple. "Sweet dreams, princess." He gave a slight smile and leaned closer to kiss Lisbon's cheek. "And sweet dreams to you, my other princess."

"Night, Patrick," Kylie said, eyes dropping already as waved goodbye sleepily.

Jane smiled, whispered a goodnight and slipped out of the house.

Watching him go, Lisbon echoed Kylie. "Night, Patrick."

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**AN: **Yeah, so, I'm not sure how I feel about that ending because it all seemed to just be blurted out. And I know it's short, but hopefully the chapters will get longer since these are just setting the story up. Anyways, press that lovely review button and tell me what you thought!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Mentalist. I do own Kylie Woods.

**A/N:** Well, hello! Long time, no see. And I do apologize for that greatly, but school has started and I'm super busy now. I'll try to update more regularly though! Anyways, thanks for checking out this story and all the reviews and story alerts/favorite mean so much to me. You guys rock... Now, on with the story!

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"Can we have pancakes, please?"

That had to have been the seventh question already this morning, and Kylie had only been up for about ten minutes.

"We'll see," Lisbon said like she'd been saying all morning as she deftly weaved the girl's dark into a neat French braid. She pressed a kiss to her temple as she stood up from the vanity. "Why don't you get dressed, and I'll see what we can have for breakfast?"

"Okay, Auntie Reese," Kylie agreed easily as she headed towards her duffel, fishing out her pleated skirt and blouse.

After making sure Kylie was getting dressed, Lisbon hurried to the kitchen. She was slightly panicked, if she was being honest. She didn't know what to feed a six year-old. Everything in her fridge was either expired, take-out or alcoholic. It crossed her mind to go shopping later, but she preoccupied with the fact she had nothing to feed Kylie with. In the midst of her panicking, the door bell rang.

Flustered and lost in thought, Lisbon opened the door and groaned. It would be him to see her like this so early in the morning. Jane smiled at her, curly hair golden in the early morning light. In his arms were plastic bags that smelt of maple syrup and pancakes begging to be eaten.

"I figured you and the munchkin would be a little short on your food supply," Jane explained with a teasing grin as she let him in. He took in her slacks and slightly rumpled button-down with a broad grin. She looked adorable like this, especially with her hair still mussed from sleep. How he wished he was the reason it was like that. Wait. What? Shaking his head, Jane asked casually, "Where is the little one?"

"Here I am!" Kylie cheered as she bounced into the room and right into Jane's arms. "Hiya, Patrick! We missed you last night."

"We did?" Lisbon questioned with a raised eyebrow and a slight smile.

"Of course, Auntie Reese!" Kylie exclaimed, rolling her eyes. She looked up at Jane with twinkling eyes. "You brought breakfast?" she asked, noticing the bag in his hand.

"Pancakes for you and your aunt," Jane confirmed.

"Thanks, Patrick!" Kylie grinned. She took the bag from him and said more thanks before scurrying to the kitchen table, eagerly pulling out the fluffy goodness.

Waiting for her to be out of earshot, Jane let out a heavy sigh, a frown marring his handsome face before asking, "How is she really?"

Lisbon looked guilty. Sometimes she wished he wasn't so good at reading people. She admitted reluctantly and quietly, "She woke up last night from a nightmare, sobbing for her mom like she did when you were over."

"She's a great actress," Jane laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "Like you," he added but as he watched her face grow hard, he knew he'd done just the opposite. "Lisbon.."

"Come on," she said stiffly. "Kylie is probably waiting for us." She didn't wait for an answer as she practically stormed away from him. He followed obediently, expecting a reprimand about minding his own business, but the smile was back when she entered the kitchen, giggling at the syrup covering Kylie's cheeks.

"Auntie Reese, come try this!" Kylie beamed, shoveling another forkful of pancakes into her mouth. "Where did you get these, Patrick?" she said around her bite.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Lisbon scolded.

"Well, there's this diner I really like because they have the best eggs I've ever had," Jane shrugged. He offered a smile. "Maybe I'll take you and Teresa sometime?"

Teresa. Hearing him say her first name, Lisbon had to do a double take. It wasn't the first time he'd ever used it, but it always gave her butterflies to hear her name roll off his tongue.

"Yeah, sometime," Lisbon nodded when she realized Kylie was staring at her expectantly. "Jane, do you mind watching her while I finish getting ready?"

"Your wish is my command," Jane said with an over exaggerated bow.

Rolling her eyes, Lisbon went back to room to brush her teeth and hair, applying a bit of make up to cover up the bags under her eyes. She was done quickly and grabbed her blazer on her way back to the kitchen. When she walked in, she felt a loss for words. Jane was sitting next to Kylie, wearing a blissful grin with syrup smudged on his cheeks. The two were arguing about the best toppings for pancakes. As if sensing her gaze, Jane looked and caught her eye, grin widening even more.

"Teresa, there you are!" Jane said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Kylie and I were just discussing what's best on pancakes. The little princess here says syrup and powdered sugar, but I say chocolate syrup versus the traditional maple. What do you think?"

Laughing slightly, Lisbon couldn't help but find Jane's childishness adorable. "I've always been partial to whipped cream," she admitted. But then she saw his blue eyes darken a fraction and she hurried added, "For pancakes. I like whipped cream on just my pancakes." She bit her lip, positive her cheeks were flaming red.

Kylie, god bless her innocence, was oblivious to the silent conversation going on between the adults as she shrugged, saying, "I guess whipped cream is okay too."

"Thanks for the approval, kiddo," Lisbon laughed as she cleaned up the little girl's mess. She pressed a kiss to the top of her head before dumping the dishes in the sink. "Go grab your backpack, so we can head out."

"I still have to go to school?" Kylie pouted.

"Sorry, but yes," Lisbon laughed.

"But, Auntie Reese, you didn't get to eat anything," Kylie said with furrowed brows as she hopped off her chair.

"I'll have Jane bring me some when we get to work," Lisbon compromised.

"Why do you call him that?" Kylie inquired as she snatched up her backpack and buckled on her shoes.

"What do you mean?" Lisbon asked, slipping on her shoes. She holstered her gun and clipped on her badge. "Who?"

"Patrick," Kylie explained as they headed back out to the kitchen where the said man was finishing up the dishes. "Why do you call him Jane? That's a girl name."

"That's his last name," Lisbon replied. "We ca each other out last names at work out of respect."

"Still a girl's name," Kylie mumbled.

"Yeah, I know, but go say bye to him anyways."

Rolling her eyes, Kylie ran up to Jane and got swooped into a bear hug. She giggled and kissed his cheek sweetly. "Bye, Patrick. Are you coming over again tonight?"

Jane met her eyes over Kylie's head, but she gave a small shake of the head. "Not tonight," Lisbon spoke up as she walked up to them. She took Kylie from Jane and smiled. "But I did call your grandma this morning, and she said she'll be happy to drop you off at my work when you get out of school."

"Does that mean I get to see Patrick?" Kylie inquired shyly.

"Yes, ma'am, it does!" Jane grinned. He patted her head, pressing a kiss to her temple, and Lisbon didn't miss the flash of nostalgia and pain that scorched through his eyes for a brief moment before glee replaced it. "I'll see you two wonderful ladies later." He bowed like he had earlier. "Lady Kylie." He paused and winked at Lisbon, lowering his voice to a husky purr to say, "Lady Lisbon." Before she could react though, he was gone and letting himself out.

There was a beat of silence before Kylie wrinkled her nose and said, "Patrick's weird."

Unable to help herself, Lisbon started laughing, nodding along as she said, "Yes, he is."

"But I like him," Kylie added.

"You know what? I do too."

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**A/N:** 1,348 words. Kylie is so cute, don't you think? And do you know who else I think is cute? Jane. Mainly Jane and Lisbon (; So is anyone's Jisbon senses tingling cause things will definitely be getting a bit more flirty up in here. So, review and tell me what you thought of this chapter, because I'd love to hear what you thought!

Also, thanks to the following for reviewing: KB4RC, MyDreamsForYou, chymom, Totorsg, SilverThornFeather, Katherine41319, thitima.p1418, and reeseishere!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Mentalist. I own Kylie Woods. 

**A/N:** Hello, hello! Here's the update, and I hope you enjoy!

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Lisbon got the text that Margaret and Kylie arrived at headquarters at half past three. She smiled at how Margaret assured her Kylie was fine, but she also blushed when she read that Kylie had told Margaret all about Jane. She slipped her phone into her pocket and stood from her desk. It had been a slow day of paperwork, and she hated how her team was practically walking on eggshells around her because of yesterday. Lisbon smoothed out the emerald button-down she'd chosen for the day and headed to the elevators to meet them.

When she walked past her team, Van Pelt smiled shyly at her while Rigsby kept his head down and Cho flipped through his book. She smiled back at her colleagues gratefully. She knew she was going to have to explain what happened yesterday to them sooner or later, but she figured she could do that when Kylie got there. She continued her walk to the elevator, only to be joined by Jane in his usual suit with a cup of tea, a smile of his own on his face.

"The princess has arrived?" Jane guessed, keeping up with her pace easily.

"Yes, her grandmother is dropping her off," Lisbon replied calmly. The two stopped in front of the elevator and waited patiently for them to open, but before they did, Sam Bosco wandered over to them.

"Teresa," he nodded with a small smile. "It's good to see you today. Waiting for the elevator?"

"Something like that," Lisbon muttered. She got along with Bosco, and she saw him as her mentor, but there were things they knew about each other that just made it hard to act normal now. The last thing she wanted was for him to meet another piece of her she wanted to keep well hidden. She clasped her hands behind her back, and she prayed he'd just leave. He didn't though. He just made small talk with Jane, which was strange since the two got along about as well as water and fire.

"Auntie Reese!"

Lisbon snapped out of her thoughts when the elevator dinged open, and Kylie sprung from it. The little girl landed into Lisbon's arms, nearly knocking over the woman over. The agent smiled though, cuddling Kylie to her, ignoring Bosco's dumbstruck face. "Hi, sweetie," Lisbon said. "How was school?" she asked, running her fingers through Kylie's curls.

"It was okay," Kylie shrugged, keeping a firm grip around Lisbon's neck. "My teacher asked me if I wanted to talk to the counselor about mommy, but I didn't wanna."

"It's okay if you want to," Lisbon told her softly.

"I know," Kylie frowned. "I just didn't wanna. I don't like the counselor... Whoever that is."

"How about we talk to this so-called counselor another day, and then you can decide if you like them," Lisbon said.

"I guess," Kylie replied reluctantly. "But, Auntie Reese, I got to paint with Harry today in class!"

"Harry?" Lisbon repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Harriet Nelson," Margaret answered. "A good friend of Kylie's."

"I see," Lisbon nodded. She turned towards Jane, and she smiled at how Kylie brightened at the sight of him. "If there someone you wanted to say hi to?"

"Patrick!" Kylie squealed. She launched herself from Lisbon's arms to Jane's, and he caught her with ease. He tickled her and blew a raspberry against her cheek, making her giggle and bat at him lightly. Lisbon smiled at the sight, and she noticed Bosco's gobsmacked face. She supposed she should explain, not only to him, but everyone else since Jane was making himself quite the spectacle like always. "Patrick, guess what! Guess what!"

"Did you eat cake?" Jane teased.

"Nope! I wish!"

"Did you... Get a new dress?"

"No, silly."

"Then what?" Jane asked in faux confusion.

"I made you a painting!" Kylie beamed. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a wrinkled sheet of paper. She unfolded it and shoved it into Jane's face. "Isn't it pretty? I made it just for you!"

And in a flash, the color from Jane's face drained away. He mumbled an excuse before nearly dropping the little girl into Lisbon's surprised arms. He darted to the break room, and Kylie looked close to tears. She turned to Lisbon and asked fearfully, "Did I do something wrong, Auntie Reese?" She hesitantly handed over her painting, and even Lisbon flinched at the picture. It was a red flower, messy and splattered like everything else than was made by a six year-old. It looked so much like blood though, the red almost the same shade. Lisbon fought her nausea, and she smiled weakly at Kylie.

"Of course not, Kylie," Lisbon assured her, though her voice was shaky and raspy. "It's a beautiful painting. Jane has just been feeling a bit sick lately. You didn't do anything, I swear, baby." She pressed a kiss to her cheek and smiled. She set her down carefully and turned to Margaret. "Can you watch her for a moment?" When the older woman nodded, she turned to leave, and she caught sight of Bosco. He looked like everything from anger to confusion. She gave a minute shake of her head, signalling him that now was not the time.

Without a second glance back, Lisbon hurried to the attic, not taking time to see her team's eye follow her. When she got there, she knocked tentatively and stepped in. Jane was staring out the window forlornly, face gaunt and drawn. She slowly walked up to him like she was trying not to startle him. When she made it next to him, he turned to her with bloodshot eyes. She didn't say anything. She simply pulled him into her arms and hugged him tight, glad when she felt him hug her back and lay his head against hers.

This was just a bump in the road, but Lisbon knew there was several more to come, and she wasn't sure if she could handle it all.

* * *

**A/N:** Poor Kylie... She has no idea. Hopefully in the next chapter, Kylie can meet the team, and Bosco can finally get some answers!

Also, thank you for everyone who followed and favorited, and I give an extra special thanks to the following for reviewing: Elc41, Katherine41319, name, dadby, chymom, Totorsg, sunshineforever13, Gazing at Castles in the Sky, Istalkyoualways, Clara-Lis, and death angel shadow kat!


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